How to do a Balance Trainer Crunch
Reviewed by JP Michelsen, CPT, B.A. Kinesiology
About Balance Trainer Crunch
Target muscles worked
Instructions for Proper Form
Balance Trainer Crunch is a more difficult variation on the standard Crunch. Similar to other crunches, this is a bodyweight exercise that targets your abdominals. By using a Balance Trainer, you add more instability to the movement, which leads to better activation of your core.
- Sit on the edge of the Balance Trainer, dome side up, with your knees bent and feet planted firmly on the ground.
- Lay your back onto the Balance Trainer placing your back into an extended position.
- Fold your arms across your chest.
- Flex your abdomen to bring your lower ribcage to your belly button as you raise your torso off of the Balance Trainer and avoid any excessive forward movement of your head.
- Control your movement keeping tension in your abdomen as you return to the starting position.
Common Form Mistakes
Sitting Up Too Far
Crunches are designed so you only raise your shoulder blades, not your entire torso. While it isn’t ineffective or dangerous to raise your torso off the ground, it isn’t a crunch. Focus on contracting your abs to get just your shoulders elevated.
Sets & Reps Calculator
Average Balance Trainer Crunch standards by male, female, gender, weight, age and height
Use this calculator to see Fitbod's possible first recommendations for you. This would be your starting line, based on more than 4.5 billion logged sets from 1.1 million users.
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Alternative Exercises to Balance Trainer Crunch
1. Crunches
94 mSCORESWAPPED 2,937 TIMESCrunches are one of the most common exercises out there. It’s an easy to perform, bodyweight exercise that targets your abdominals. Crunches are very similar to Sit Ups, however, instead of raising your upper body all the way into a near sitting position, you only raise your shoulder blades off the ground. This is a great exercise for beginners looking to build core strength.
- Beginner
- Abs
2. Ab Crunch Machine
96.1 mSCORESWAPPED 2,471 TIMESAb Crunch Machine is a variation of Crunches performed with a machine. Unlike standard Crunches, the use of a machine gives you more control over your resistance. In addition, the machine will restrict your range of motion allowing you to focus more on exertion than stabilizing the movement.
- Intermediate
- Abs
- Ab Crunch Machine
3. Plank
92.8 mSCORESWAPPED 1,639 TIMESPlanks are one of the most common core exercises out there. This is a bodyweight exercise that is performed for time rather than reps. Planks don’t require any movement, instead they force you to place yourself in a position that requires you to engage your core, and maintain that muscle activation for the duration of the exercise. This is a great way to help build strength and stability in a way that will translate to a variety of other exercises, and your daily life.
- Beginner
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4. Leg Raise
96.5 mSCORESWAPPED 1,524 TIMESLeg Raise is a simple bodyweight core exercise that involves laying on the ground and suspending your legs in the air. While your core does play a significant role in raising your legs, the real benefit comes from controlling their descent back to the floor.
- Beginner
- Abs
5. Russian Twist
96.2 mSCORESWAPPED 1,129 TIMESRussian Twist is one of the more common core exercises. This exercise targets multiple muscles in your core, but the reason for including this exercise is usually to target your obliques. By raising your feet off the ground, engaging your core, and twisting to each side, you can better target this specific muscle in your core.
- Beginner
- Abs
6. Exercise Ball Crunch
79.2 mSCORESWAPPED 999 TIMESExercise Ball Crunch is a weighted variation of the standard Crunch. By holding a medicine ball, you can add more weight to this usually bodyweight exercise. This is a great variation for anyone looking to make their crunches more challenging.
- Beginner
- Abs
- Stability (Swiss) Ball
7. Flutter Kicks
88 mSCORESWAPPED 955 TIMESFlutter Kicks are a bodyweight core exercise that have you lay on a bench with your legs extended out over one end. This exercise is very similar to Scissor Kicks with the added benefit of having more room under your legs. This can give you a bit more range of motion as your leg descends.
- Beginner
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8. Oblique Crunch
86.7 mSCORESWAPPED 899 TIMESOblique Crunch is a variation on the more standard Crunch. Similar to Crunches, this is a bodyweight core exercise. By reaching across your torso, you can help isolate your obliques. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to specifically target their obliques.
- Beginner
- Abs
9. Jackknife Sit-Up
60.8 mSCORESWAPPED 890 TIMESJackknife Sit-Up is a combination of a Sit Up and a Leg Pull-In. Like the other two exercises, this is a bodyweight core exercise that offers the benefits of both. It’s very similar to a Cocoon Crunch, however, you’ll be raising your entire torso off the ground, rather than just your shoulder blades. This is a great exercise for anyone looking to add some extra challenge to their core workout.
- Beginner
- Abs
10. Cable Crunch
88.8 mSCORESWAPPED 842 TIMESCable Crunch is a variation on the more standard Crunch. Unlike Crunches, this is a weighted exercise that does not have you laying on your back. Instead of using your bodyweight for resistance, you use a cable machine. This gives you more control over your resistance, as well as more control over the direction that resistance is coming from.
- Beginner
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- Hi-Lo Pulley Cable
- Rope Cable